Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has chosen an open competition rather than a quick decision to replace the sidelined Mark Williams at centre. Ott told reporters he plans to "let the preseason play out" before naming a starter, with the call likely coming only "a couple of days" before the Oct. 21 opener, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Rookie Khaman Maluach has already begun his case. The South Sudanese big man spent part of the offseason training with Suns star Devin Booker after personally reaching out to him. Maluach said he wanted to understand what Booker needs from his frontcourt partners.
"He's kind of like a coach himself," Maluach said. "I get to learn a lot from him, a lot of stuff that the coaches don't see that he sees as a player when he gets blitzed."
Oso Ighodaro, a Nigerian-American forward, holds the edge of prior NBA experience. Maluach offers long-term upside as a young talent still finding his feet. With Williams out, both can expect meaningful preseason minutes as Ott weighs his options ahead of the new season.
